RESUMO
The consumption of private hold poultry foodstuffs, escaping of official maximum residue limit (MRL) controls in the commercial foodstuff, is an important exposure way for the local populations to chlordecone on the French West Indies. Therefore, chlordecone contamination of different tissues in 42 birds from 32 private holders was determined depending on the contamination of the soil of the outside plot but also surveying the rearing practices of these holders of both islands. Chlordecone contents in tissues increased rapidly with this of the topsoil of the site. The most sensitive tissues to chlordecone presence were egg yolk and liver, followed by abdominal fat and finally leg tissue. The rearing practices varied between the surveyed private holders of both islands. Nevertheless, practices for the distribution of feed and water as well as covering of soil were hardly protective, what would increase the exposure risk of these birds to this potentially present soil-bound contaminant. Although depuration of birds seems possible, the ongoing modelization of the necessary time to meet MRL thresholds indicates that such time lapse seems hardly compatible with acceptable delays for private holders. Therefore, very protective rearing practices are the main way to obtain poultry foodstuffs compliant to MRL, what seems possible if the topsoil is contaminated at less than 0.1 mg kg-1 and perhaps up to 0.5 mg kg-1 if protective practices vis-a-vis of soil exposure are very strict. Nevertheless, a higher contamination of the topsoil seems not compatible with compliant poultry foodstuffs.
Assuntos
Clordecona , Inseticidas , Poluentes do Solo , Animais , Clordecona/análise , Inseticidas/análise , Aves Domésticas , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
In the French West Indies, the chlordecone (organochloride pesticide) pollution is now diffuse becoming new contamination source for crops and environment (water, trophic chain). Decontamination by bioremediation and chemical degradation are still under development but the physical limitations of these approaches are generally not taken into account. These physical limitations are related to the poor physical accessibility to the pesticides in soils because of the peculiar structural properties of the contaminated clays (pore volume, transport properties, permeability, and diffusion). Some volcanic soils (andosols), which represent the half of the contaminated soils in Martinique, contain nanoclay (allophane) with a unique structure and porous properties. Andosols are characterized by pore size distribution in the mesoporous range, a high specific surface area, a large pore volume, and a fractal structure. Our hypothesis is that the clay microstructure characteristics are crucial physico-chemical factors strongly limiting the remediation of the pesticide. Our results show that allophane microstructure (small pore size, hierarchical microstructure, and tortuosity) favors accumulation of chlordecone, in andosols. Moreover, the clay microporosity limits the accessibility of microorganisms and chemical species able to decontaminate because of poor transport properties (permeability and diffusion). We model the transport properties by two approaches: (1) we use a numerical model to simulate the structure of allophane aggregates. The algorithm is based on a cluster-cluster aggregation model. From the simulated data, we derived the pore volume, specific surface area, tortuosity, permeability, and diffusion. We show that transport properties strongly decrease because of the presence of allophane. (2) The fractal approach. We characterize the fractal features (size of the fractal aggregate, fractal dimension, tortuosity inside allophane aggregates) and we calculate that transport properties decrease of several order ranges inside the clay aggregates. These poor transport properties are important parameters to explain the poor accessibility to pollutants in volcanic soils and should be taken into account by future decontamination process. We conclude that for andosols, this inaccessibility could render inefficient some of the methods proposed in the literature.
Assuntos
Clordecona , Praguicidas , Poluentes do Solo , Clordecona/análise , Descontaminação , Fractais , Martinica , Solo , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
Due to the persistent pollution of soils by an organochlorine, chlordecone (CLD also known as Kepone ©) in the French West Indies, some crops may be contaminated beyond the European regulatory threshold, the maximum residue limit (MRL). Farmers need to be able to foresee the risk of not complying with the regulatory threshold in each field and for each crop, if not, farmers whose fields are contaminated would have to stop cultivating certain crops in the fields concerned. To help farmers make the right choices, we studied the relationship between contamination of the soil and contamination of crops. We showed that contamination of a crop by CLD depended on the crop concerned, the soil CLD content and the type of soil. We grouped crop products in three categories: (i) non-uptakers and low-uptakers, (ii) medium-uptakers, and (iii) high-uptakers, according to their level of contamination and the resulting risk of exceeding MRL. Using a simulation model, we computed the soil threshold required to ensure the risk of not complying with MRL was sufficiently low for each crop product and soil type. Threshold values ranged from 0.02 µgkg-1 for dasheen grown in nitisol to 1.7 µgkg-1 for yam grown in andosol in the high-uptake category, and from 1 µgkg-1 for lettuce grown in nitisol to 45 µgkg-1 for the leaves of spring onions grown in andosol in the medium-uptake category. Contamination of non-uptakers and low-uptakers did not depend on soil contamination. With these results, we built an easy-to-use decision support tool based on two soil thresholds (0.1 and 1 µgkg-1) to enable growers to adapt their cropping system and hence to be able to continue farming.
Assuntos
Clordecona/análise , Produtos Agrícolas/química , Técnicas de Apoio para a Decisão , Inocuidade dos Alimentos/métodos , Inseticidas/análise , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Solo/química , Agricultura/métodos , Produtos Agrícolas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Produtos Agrícolas/metabolismo , Modelos Teóricos , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
We address the problem of the comparative environmental fate of a pesticide, chlordecone (CLD), and a related compound, chlordecone-5b-hydro (CLD-5b-hydro). We used a large database including data from two types of contaminated volcanic soils, andosol and nitisol, and thirteen crops grown in the French West Indies in historically polluted soils. We performed in-depth statistical analysis of the effect of different parameters (soil type, crop, organ, etc.) on the ratio of CLD-5b-hydro to CLD in both soils and plants. The environmental fate of the two compounds differed depending on the type of soil. Proportionally, more CLD-5b-hydro than CLD was measured in nitisols than in andosols. Compared to CLD, we also found a preferential transfer of CLD-5b-hydro from the soil to the plant. Finally, mobilization of the two compounds differed according to the species of crop but also within the plant, with increasing ratios from the roots to the top of the plant. The properties of the compound played a key role in the underlying processes. Because CLD-5b-hydro is more soluble in water and has a lower K(ow) than CLD, CLD-5b-hydro (1) was more easily absorbed from soils by plants, (2) was less adsorbed onto plant tissues and (3) was transported in greater quantities through the transpiration stream. Due to the amounts of CLD-5b-hydro we measured in some plant parts such as cucurbit fruits, an assessment of the toxicity of this CLD monodechlorinated product is recommended.
Assuntos
Clordecona/análogos & derivados , Clordecona/análise , Monitoramento Ambiental , Hidrocarbonetos Clorados/análise , Produtos Agrícolas/química , Inseticidas/análise , Solo/química , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
The former use of chlordecone (CLD) in the French West Indies has resulted in long-term pollution of soils and subsequently of food chains. In contaminated areas, free-range ducks used to control weeds in orchards may be exposed to CLD through polluted soil ingestion. The question arises whether they may be consumed. Muscovy ducks were raised on a guava orchard planted on a soil moderately contaminated (410 µg CLD/kg dry matter). Ducks were raised indoor up to 6 weeks of age and allowed to range freely outdoors thereafter. Twenty-nine females were sequentially slaughtered by groups of 2 to 5 ducks, after 4, 16, 19, 22 or 26 weeks spent in the orchard or after 16-17 weeks in the orchard followed by 3, 6 or 9 weeks in a closed shelter for depuration. CLD concentration increased from 258 to 1051, 96 to 278, 60 to 169 and 48 to 145 µg/kg fresh matter (FM) as the exposure through grazing increased from 4 to 22 weeks, in liver, abdominal fat and leg with and without skin, respectively. Eggs collected in the orchard contained up to 1001 µg CLD/kg FM. All these values exceeded the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of 20 µg/kg FM. CLD concentration in all tissues was divided by around 10 within the 9-week confinement period. Despite this quite rapid decontamination, it is estimated that 12-13 weeks would be required to achieve the MRL in liver and in eggs, and 5-6 weeks in leg muscle. Such durations would be too long in practice. Thus, the consumption of products from free-range ducks should be avoided, even in areas mildly contaminated with CLD.
Assuntos
Clordecona/metabolismo , Patos/metabolismo , Monitoramento Ambiental , Poluentes Ambientais/metabolismo , Inseticidas/metabolismo , Animais , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
Decades after their use and their ban, organochlorine pesticides still pollute soil, water and food and lead to human and ecosystem exposure. In the case of chlordecone, human exposure is mainly due to the consumption of polluted food. We studied the effect of preparation and cooking in five vegetable products, three root vegetables (yam, dasheen and sweet potato) and two cucurbits (cucumber and pumpkin), among the main contributors to exposure to chlordecone in food in the French West Indies. Boiling the vegetables in water had no effect on chlordecone content of the vegetables and consequently on consumer exposure. The peel was three to 40-fold more contaminated than the pulp except cucumber, where the difference was less contrasted. The edible part is thus significantly less contaminated and peeling is recommended after rinsing to reduce consumer exposure, particularly for food grown in home gardens with contaminated soils. The type of soil had no consistent effect on CLD distribution but plot did. Peel and pulp composition (lipids and fibers) appear to partially account for CLD distribution in the product.
Assuntos
Clordecona/análise , Contaminação de Alimentos/análise , Manipulação de Alimentos/métodos , Inseticidas/análise , Verduras/química , Poluentes do Solo/análise , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
Chlordecone (CHLD), a soil and foodstuff pollutant, as well as an environmentally persistent organochlorine insecticide, was used intensively in banana fields. The chlordecone uptake of three crops was measured for two types of polluted soils: allophanic and non-allophanic. The uptake is lower for allophanic soils even if their chlordecone content is higher than with non-allophanic soils. The fractal structure of the allophane aggregates was characterized at the nanoscale by small angle X-rays scattering, pore size distribution and transmission electron microscopy. We showed that clay microstructures should be an important physico-chemical factor governing the fate of chlordecone in the environment. Allophanic clays result in two counterintuitive findings: higher contaminant trappings yet lower contaminant availability. We propose that this specific, tortuous structure, along with its associated low accessibility, partly explains the low availability of chlordecone confined in allophanic soils. Capsule The fractal and tortuous microstructure of allophane clay favours the chlordecone retention in soils and disfavours the crop uptake.